Red Chapel

last update: 16.02.2007

North Wall - Block No. 301


Stone: red quartzite (origin - from the "Red Mountains" of Djebel Akhmar, an area near Heliopolis)

The shows two scenes, on the right Hatshepsut is embraced by Amun-Ra, "who satifies the heart".
The left scene shows Hatshepsut performing the ritual run "Seizing the oar (JTjt Hpt)" before the ithyphallic Amun, "Lord of Heaven". In he right hand she holds an oar with the blade downwards, in her left she carries a strange, angled instrument which unmistakably represents the sign (Gardiner-sign Aa5). According to Hannig (Grosses Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch. Mainz 1995., S. 1101) the Gardiner-sign Aa5 may depict an instrument used to navigate / steering a ship. The inscription below her outstretched hand holding the Hpt-sign reads:
jTj Hpt which is translated by Hannig (loc. cit.) as "taking the instrument for navigation /steering [and bring it to the god]".

Amun welcomes the queen with the words (vertical inscription before Amun):
"Dd mdw jj.wj n=jj jj.wj n=j [m] Htpw zAt mrjt MAat-kA-Ra wpjt njt [xt=j] = Word to say: Welcome! Welcome! In peace my beloved daughter, Maat-ka-Ra, who [has opened my body]."

The block was mounted south of the west-east-axis of the chapel, therefore, Hatshepsut is depicted here wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt - matching to the southern part of the Two Lands. On the corresponding block 65, which was mounted north of the temple axis in the western gate, she is depicted with the Red Crown of Lower Egypt.

Note(s):

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Copyright: Dr. Karl H. Leser (Iufaa)